PARESH RAWAL RETURNS TO TAMPA, ORLANDO; ALSO TO PERFORM IN CORAL SPRINGS

Satya Shaw, CPA, will present Paresh Rawal in the hilarious Hindi play “Krishan Vs. Kanhaiya” at 7:45 on Saturday, April 30, in Coral Springs and on Monday, May 2, in Tampa. The South Florida show will be at Coral Springs Center for the Arts, 2855 Coral Springs Drive. The Tampa drama will be at Centro Asturiano, 1913 Nebraska Ave. “The play will have you laughing every minute,” said Shaw.

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News

FESTIVAL OF INDIA APRIL 23 IN ORLANDO

Story provided by SHOBANA DANIELL

Local artists and competitors will take part on Saturday, April 23, in the largest festival of India in Central Florida with performances ranging from classical dance to modern Bollywood. The Festival of India, organized by the Hindu Society of Central Florida, will showcase arts from the subcontinent's diverse traditions and Indian classical dance forms, such as Bharatanatyam, and include music performances by Vaibhav Joshi and his students playing the tabla. Also, students of Nritya Dance Academy will perform several dances. The highlight of the cultural program will be a dance competition and dances from different regions of India; if anyone would like to compete or even do an individual performance, the deadline to send in application is April 16. And of special interest to people planning a summer vacation in India, The Consulate of India in Houston, Texas, will have an information booth and also accept visa applications.

The festival is generally held in the temple in Casselberry but this year the venue will be the Central Florida Fairgrounds in Orlando. The reason was each year more and more attendees come and the fairgrounds has a larger covered arena and parking. There will be businesses with products to sell, ranging from Indian jewelry to snacks, clothes and Ayurveda products. Food stalls will prepare different cuisines from India. The temple youth will prepare cultural displays of the diversity of India as many local area schoolchildren attend the event.

The Festival of India will be held 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Central Florida Fairgrounds, 4603 W. Colonial Drive, Orlando. For more information or to book a stall, call the temple office at (407) 699-5277 or Srinivas Jaragula at (407) 267-7595. For information about performances, call Alka Shukla at (407) 221-3517 or visit www.hindutempleorlando.org

14th ANNUAL ISLAMIC CHARITY FESTIVAL SET APRIL 17 IN TAMPA

Story provided by Dr. HUSAIN NAGAMIA

The 14th annual Islamic Charity Festival will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 17 at the Riverfront Park, 1000 E. North St., Tampa.

Organized by the Tampa Bay Muslim Alliance, the event will be inaugurated by new Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn. Dignitaries will be in attendance, including county commissioners, city councilmen, and chiefs of police and fire departments.

About 2,000 free meals, including a great American barbecue, are planned. Other free giveaways include toys, clothes, shoes, new bicycles and medical tests.

Entertainment, especially for children, will include clowns, games, face painting, musical bands and games. The charity festival is an expression of the “Spirit of giving and sharing that is promoted by teachings of the Islamic faith.” ‘Zakah’ or charity is compulsory in the Islamic faith and one of the five pillars of Islamic tenets.

For more information, call Dr. Husain Nagamia at (813) 654-4466 or the Tampa Bay Muslim Alliance at (813) 661-6161.